An integrated
approach to secure the future of water in Big Sky
By Kristin GardnerEBS CONTRIBUTOR
Over the past year, sustainability initiatives have been gaining momentum across Big Sky. After recently participating in a two-day workshop on sustainable tourism and the inaugural meeting of the Big Sky Sustainability Committee, I have been ruminating on water sustainability in Big Sky. What does water sustainability look like for a growing mountain resort community, which greatly depends on the availability of water in all its forms? How we can we make water management decisions today without compromising the water needs for future generations?
I believe the answer lies within the holistic approach: One
Water. One Water promotes managing water in ways that are in harmony with the
natural flows of water through watersheds. One Water recognizes that all water
has value—the water in our rivers, lakes and aquifers, as well as the water we
drink, the water produced from wastewater treatment, and the water that runs
off of our residential developments, trails and golf courses. These
interconnected water resources can and should be managed carefully to maximize
benefit to the entire watershed.
Examples of innovative water management solutions that
maximize watershed benefit are becoming more prevalent across the United States.
Soda Springs Mountain Resort was the first ski resort in California to make
snow with highly treated wastewater effluent, which then recharges ground and
surface water flows as the snow melts in the spring, thus preparing the ski
resort for climate change. Austin Central Library in Austin, Texas, collects
both rainwater and the water that drips off of air conditioning systems, and
then uses that water to irrigate the library’s landscaping and to flush
toilets.
Integrating natural and human-influenced water systems
breaks from the traditional siloed approach of managing water supply,
wastewater and stormwater. Instead, all of these urban water flows are
recognized as potential resources to sustain our rivers and aquifers. Healthy
rivers and aquifers depend on abundant clean water that is directly and
indirectly affected by how we manage our urban water flows.
In Big Sky, we already have some examples of One Water
approaches to water management. Wastewater effluent from the Big Sky Water and
Sewer District and Yellowstone Club is used to irrigate our local golf courses
and community park. Purple pipe, a special pipe that transports treated
wastewater, is being installed in Town Center to irrigate residential and
business developments. Instead of potable water being withdrawn from our
aquifers for irrigation, that water remains in the ground to slowly replenish
our rivers and drinking water supplies. It’s a win-win-win.
But, we could do better to fully embrace the idea of One
Water. Our community is inherently connected to the water cycle. The snow we
ski becomes the whitewater we float, the riffles we fish and the water we
drink. We need to prioritize innovative solutions that meet the water needs of
the river, our growing community and future generations.
Many of these solutions are outlined in the Big Sky
Sustainable Watershed Stewardship Plan. For this to come to fruition, we will
all need to think outside of the box and beyond our own organizations and
property boundaries when we consider water resource planning. Together, we can
and must build a sustainable water future for Big Sky.